


The First Day

by fandomsonmysleeve



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Best Friends, Bullying, F/M, First Day of School, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 14:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18012527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomsonmysleeve/pseuds/fandomsonmysleeve
Summary: El’s first day at Hawkin’s High with the party. Written in El’s POV.





	The First Day

**Author's Note:**

> This was written before any information about Season 3 was released. So it’s in canon but an AU since we’re not focusing on the summer of 1985. Please note that this is what I imagine the situation would be like if El attended High School with the party. I hope you enjoy. Feedback is MUCH appreciated! 
> 
> Also feel free to check out my other ST fic “The Promise” which in a way is a prequel. Thank you!

★ ★ ★

After the Snowball, El decided that she wanted to go to school.

She wanted to be with her friends on a daily basis, learning with them.

Mike’s occasional visits to the cabin and the time she and Hopper spent at the Byers home where the party (as the boys liked the group to be referred to as) would sometimes meet up made her happy, but still, she longed for more.

Convincing Hopper to let her attend school was difficult. He told her that she had to stay hidden for another year before being seen by the outside world.

It was still early January. Mike had explained to her that he and the others were still in junior high until June, but when September came they would be going into high school. That was almost an entire year, and gave her 9 months to prepare.

He also warned her that school was completely different than being taught at home by him. El persisted, having an answer for each of his concerns. 

He countered back with all the dangers she could possibly face: she’d be with other kids who wouldn’t all be nice, she’d have multiple teachers instead of one, the lessons would be more challenging, the environment would be overwhelming—his list of reasons seemed to go on and on.

El didn’t care. She shook her head. “No. I’ll have my friends. They’ll help me.”

If there’s anyone else besides Joyce he could trust to look after her, it should be her friends.

He opened his mouth to once again protest, but before he could get the words out, she walked over and stared up at him. She wanted him to see the hope and determination in her eyes.

“I can do it. Please.” 

Hopper took one look at her face and sighed. Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave in, reluctantly. “Okay. Fine,” he said. “But you’re gonna have to work for it.”

★ ★ ★

Hopper wasn’t joking. She spent every day during the 9 months preparing for school. 

When El excitedly called Mike over the walkie talkie that he’d gifted to her, he was ecstatic to hear the news and offered to help in any way that he could.

Hopper would bring back multiple books from the library to improve her reading skills. Mike created flashcards on different school subjects that she’d have to guess the correct answer to. He especially seemed to enjoy teaching her about the wonders of science.

When it was Summertime, Hopper allowed El to go over to Mike’s house once in awhile, as long as she stayed inside the basement. His parents were, as usual, oblivious and never went downstairs, so she would go unnoticed. The party would hang out, playing board games. It was a nice break from all the work.

Sometimes at Mike’s during study sessions, it would just be the two of them. They would sit inside the fort going over what she still had to learn, and would often read books together.

El appreciated Mike’s help, considering it was Summer. As she understood, it was when students had free time away from thinking about school. He didn’t seem to mind though.

Hopper was even tempered when teaching her, making sure she fully understood what he was saying without frustration, but there was something about Mike that put her at ease while learning. Ever since the night she and Mike met, he never laughed at her when she was confused at something that might have seemed like a simple concept to him. He was always patient with her and explained everything carefully.

When it was time for Mike to go home after one of their study sessions, he pulled her into a hug. “I’m happy you’ll be going to school with us, El.” 

She smiled at him. “Me too,” she said, returning the hug.

When they let go of each other, he took out a piece of paper and handed it to her. It read: “ **MIKE’S** **5** **TIPS** **TO** **SURVIVE** **HIGH** **SCHOOL** ”

“When Will, Dustin, Lucas, and I were first going into middle school, we came up with these tips to help us throughout the year. I modified it a bit for you—”

“Modified?” She asked.

“Changed it up for you, since we’re going to high school now. Plus, I figured it could help make your days at school a little easier.”

El examined the paper and thanked him. The tips did seem like they would be helpful. She also observed that Mike had neat handwriting, better than hers. It was something she still was working on. She tucked the paper safely in her bag so she could keep it for reference.

  
★ ★ ★

July and August came and went, and soon enough the day had finally arrived. El was officially a high school student.

Hopper had driven her to school and they were waiting in the car at the drop off.

She felt her stomach doing flips inside. El had been to Hawkin’s Middle before, but never for educational purposes. She could only imagine how different Hawkin’s High would be. 

El took a glance out the window before turning to Hopper, who was adjusting the straps on her backpack. 

“Now if anyone asks, your name is Jane Hopper. You’ll introduce yourself to everyone as Jane. Your friends call you El only because-” 

“It stands for my middle name.” She nods, finishing his sentence. She wanted her friends to still call her El—by the name that Mike had given her. It was special.

“—And don’t forget that Joyce is going to pick you and Will up once school is over at 2:30, during her lunch break, and you’re going to stay at her house until I get out of work. Got it?”

“Yes,” she said, nodding once again. They’ve gone over these rules countless times. She’s memorized it all.

“Most importantly, remember, no matter what, never use your powers. _Ever_. We can’t have anyone figuring out who you really are-”  

“I know, _I know_!” She huffed at him, annoyed. She knew how bad the situation could get if people knew who she truly was. She wouldn’t be allowed in school. 

Hopper bowed his head down. “I just want to keep you safe.” 

“I know,” El said, softening her voice. Hopper was just looking out for her. “Thank you for trusting me.”

He lightly ruffled the back of her hair, careful not to mess up the barrettes she put in it to keep some of the curls out of her eyes.

He looked out the window, making sure her friends were waiting across the way before sending her off.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” she said. She hugged Hopper tightly and said goodbye before getting out of the car.

She put on her backpack, clutching her trapper keeper in one hand and the list Mike had made for her in the other. 

El took a deep breath, and headed towards Hawkin’s High.

**MIKE’S 5 TIPS TO SURVIVE HIGH SCHOOL**

****1\. REMEMBER WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE** **

El walked past a sea of high schoolers through the parking lot, eager to reach Mike and Lucas, who were standing next to their bikes. A smile grew on Mike’s face as he greeted her.

“Hi, El” He said, hugging her. “I like your outfit.”

This caused El to blush as she smiled. She waved at Lucas and looked around for the rest of their friends.

“Where is everyone?” She asked, checking the watch that Hopper gave her. They had about 15 minutes before they had to be inside.

She had gotten much better at telling the time, and the device made it even easier. It was a simple black watch that reminded her of the one Mike wore.

They had all agreed to meet a bit early before class so they could walk together. Luckily enough, they all had the same Homeroom, which was also their English class and then Science together later on in the day. Dustin had mentioned something about Mr. Clarke putting in a “good word” for them.

“They’ll be here soon,” Lucas replied. He pointed to a car. “Here’s Will now.”

She watched from across the way as Joyce dropped off Will in her green car. They exchanged goodbyes and Will made his way over to the group. He looked about as nervous as El was feeling.

El and Will had grown close over the year and she looked at him as her brother. They had talked to each other about their anticipation before. El gave him a small smile, letting him know that it was going to be okay.

Shortly after Will’s arrival, it was Dustin’s turn. She saw him get out of Steve Harrington’s car, Dustin nodding eagerly at whatever Steve was saying to him.

She only had brief interactions with Steve after meeting for him for the first time when she closed the gate, but from those interactions she could tell he was trustworthy. Steve graduated from Hawkin’s High but decided to stick around, and Hopper got him a job as his deputy in training. El didn’t entirely understand Hopper’s job but knew that Steve was good at protecting people. Dustin told her how he watched out for the party last year. Steve saved her friends, so she was grateful.

El and the boys all stood at the bike rack as they waited for one last party member.

Max was speeding towards them on her skateboard, her hair flying against the wind.

Once El cleared up the misunderstanding and found out that Max didn’t have feelings for Mike, they became instant friends.

She loved Joyce and had fun with Nancy, but it was nice to have a female friend her age. Max was tough. She liked that. ****

“Alright guys. Who’s ready to take on the 9th grade?” Dustin asked.

**2\. DECIDE WHICH CLASSES YOU’RE BEST AT**

High School was exhilarating.

A lot of people stared at her, curious to know who El was. She would catch many boys and girls sneaking glances at her as she walked through the hallway. It wasn’t uncommon for people to stare, but it still made her uncomfortable, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Mike.

“Hey,” he said softly as they entered Homeroom, “You can do this.”

El was happy to have Homeroom/English with her friends. They had to sit in alphabetical order according to their last names, which meant the party was split all around the room. Since her last name was Hopper, she was placed behind Dustin, Max only a few seats ahead. Her heart ached and she wished that Mike could sit closer, but just knowing he was in the same room was enough.

Their teacher was nice, and when they went over the lesson plans for the year, it fascinated El. She liked to read. This also meant that she and her friends could work on projects together.

When the bell rang, that meant that it was time for a new class and they unfortunately had to part ways. Mike squeezed her hand before walking off with Will in the opposite direction.

El and Lucas had History together, and in this class they were able to choose their own seats, so she sat next to him in the middle row. El never realized how much she had missed during her time in the lab. This teacher was strict, and told them they’d have weekly quizzes on chapters in their history books. It was a bit overwhelming. Lucas told her that he enjoyed this subject and that they could study together.

Math was El’s third period with Dustin. Their teacher had assigned seats so he was two rows away from her, but thankfully he was still in her eyesight. They were given a sheet full of multiple choice problems to test their knowledge. Thanks to Hopper going over some workbooks with her, the questions didn’t look too unfamiliar.

El tried her best and didn’t mind the challenge. A lot of the classmates groaned while doing the worksheet, but Dustin seemed pleased as he flashed her a big grin. She giggled and returned to her work. She would be sure to thank Hopper later that evening for the practice.

While finding her way into the girl's locker room, she ran into Nancy, who El was glad to see. Over the summer she had given El advice about being a freshman, and admitted to El that she was nervous when she started her freshman year, too, and still felt pressure about going into her senior year. El appreciated their talks. Nancy was open and honest with her.

Nancy gave her a hug and wished her good luck before going off to her next subject.

El soon realized what the good luck was for. Gym was a class unlike any other she had that day.

Their teacher, who they were supposed to call “coach”, told them that they would first be doing physical exercise for the first half of the year, and then they would have health class for the second. She remembered the boys complaining to El about gym.

Despite the fact that all of them have most likely done more physical labor than anyone else at the school, they preferred to stick with textbooks.

El was stealthy. She knew how to run, crawl, quickly hide, and had the advantage of her powers, but she didn’t blame the boys. It was less exhausting reading a book. She’d rather save her strength.

Thankfully, she shared this class with Max. Coach told everyone since it was only the first day, they were to stand in the gym and do simple exercises together.

She stood next to Max, following her lead as El learned some exercise positions. The class went by quickly, and the bell soon rang. Max and El grabbed their bags and headed out into the hallway. Max was busy telling El about her new math teacher when El felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Are you new? I haven’t seen you around before.” Standing next to her was a taller girl with heavy makeup, a small group of girls behind her. El recognized her from the gym class she’d just left.

Taken by surprise, El’s eyes widened as she replied. “Um, yes. My name is Jane.”

A lot of people had been staring at her today but no one had openly come up to have a conversation. Max groaned behind her. Before El could say anything else, the girls standing behind the taller one motioned her over.

_“Isn’t she the one who randomly showed up at the Snowball?”_

_“I recognize her! She’s that girl who was dancing with Mike Wheeler!”_

_“I saw them holding hands!”_

_“Did you see the group of people she hangs around with?”_

_“She’s so weird!”_

_“I saw her earlier in the hallway looking like a deer in the headlights!”_

She heard them whispering and giggling.

The girl who was standing next to her turned back to El, scanning her up and down. “Well Jane, I thought I should introduce myself. I’m Stacey. It’s nice to… meet you. I’ll see you around.”

Stacey plastered on a smile that looked fake. Her eyes flickered towards Max before snorting and turned away on her high heels. As she walked away, she began giggling to her friends.

 _“It’s no surprise she’s going out with that loser,”_ she heard Stacey say.

Max, who also heard the comments the girls were saying, quickly grabbed El and pulled in the opposite direction.

“Don’t listen to them. They’re bitches. When I was the new student at Hawkins Middle last year, they treated me the same way. They were mean to Dustin too,” Max said.

El furrowed her eyebrows. “Why were they making fun of me? And Mike? I’ve never met them before.” She didn’t understand.

“They’re just jealous.”

“Jealous?” El had known jealousy. She found out it’s what she had felt when she first saw Mike and Max interacting. She now trusted Max, but El wasn’t sure about these girls. They weren’t nice. She didn’t like their comments and didn’t want them anywhere near Mike or her friends.

“No, no. Not like that. They’re just jealous because you have someone _like_ Mike who genuinely cares about you that way,” Max explained. “Plus, you have an _awesome_ group of friends that Stacey wishes she had.” 

Max was right. Her friends were awesome.

El smiled. “Thank you for being my friend,” she said to Max.

“C’mon,” Max said, wrapping her arm around El’s shoulder. “it’s time for lunch.”

**3\. FIND THE BEST PLACE TO EAT LUNCH**

El and Max finally reached their lockers, both anxious to eat. After some frustrated attempts to open her locker that she’d been having trouble with all day, Max showed her how to properly do it.

They grabbed their lunches and started heading down the hallway. “I ran into Lucas earlier. He said to meet everyone by the large oak tree outside,” Max said. They turned to their left and went out the doors.

They truly seemed to have found the best place to eat lunch.

It turns out Will was the one to choose it for them.

“Jonathan told me about this place. He used to like to come here when he first started high school. I don’t know what we’ll do when it snows, but I thought it was nice,” Will said.

There was a small sidewalk that created a pathway to the large oak tree. It was few feet away from Hawkins High, and there weren’t too many other classmates around. This created a peaceful environment away from the crowds she had been dealing with all day. She loved it.

“Pretty,” El said to him, as the rest of the party agreed with her, giving Will approving smiles and pats on the back.

El sat down next to Mike, naturally, creating the party to form a circle. Each of them started to take out their lunches. Mike reached into his lunch bag and pulled something out. He carefully unwrapped the tinfoil, revealing an Eggo waffle.

“I brought your favorite,” he said to her. “I know it’s not warmed up anymore, but I figured you would like it anyways.”

El beamed up at him. “Thank you Mike!” She exclaimed, placing a kiss on his cheek.

A slight blush tinted his cheeks, and she watched as his smile widened as he nodded towards her hand, taking notice that she was wearing the promise ring he had given her. It was her favorite possession.

“Eww! Some of us are trying to eat here!” Dustin said playfully, causing joint laughter from the others.

After El graciously ate her Eggo, she reached into the brown paper bag lunch that Hopper had prepared for her. She took out a sandwich and other snacks, only to find that the last item in the bag ended up being a note.

_You’re going to do great, kid. Love you. - Hopper_

The note was a nice surprise, and it made her eyes water. She missed Hopper. She knew he missed her too and that’s why he was hesitant on sending her to school. He still wanted to be the one to teach her everything. El told him that she would always need his help, with school and everyday life, which seemed to make Hopper happy.

She continued to bond with her friends as they shared some snacks back and forth while talking and laughing. It was moments like this that reminded her why she wanted to be at school so badly—to be with them.

**4\. STAY AWAY FROM BULLIES**

After lunch, everything continued to run smoothly.

El and Will had an elective class together. He urged her to join Art with him, knowing that she would like it. Everyone told her that electives were the ‘fun’ classes.

El loved to watch Will draw. When Hopper and El went to visit the Byers, she frequently sat quietly next to Will and watched him sketch. It fascinated her. Will would let her take part, asking her which colors he should use for the picture. El would sometimes draw pictures with him. She was getting better with other shapes rather than just stick figures.

For their first day assignment, they were told to draw something involving nature. 

Will and El pushed their chairs together and sketched.

“Are you having a good day?” Will asked her, picking up a colored pencil.

“Yes,” El said, nodding at him. “Are you?” She remembered how nervous he looked this morning.

“I guess so. School has kinda been...” Will paused before continuing the conversation. “School hasn’t felt the same to me since 7th grade. People always stare at me and I hear them make comments behind my back. I-I guess I feel out of sorts.” He looked embarrassed.

El knew exactly what he meant.

“People have been staring at me too,” she said.

“Hm. They’ll have to keep on wondering then, huh? Like we’re mysteries or something,” he said, trying to lighten the conversation. Will’s sympathetic personality was something he had learned from Joyce.

It was a silent understanding they had with each other. They both had experienced unspeakable things that traumatized them. They both relied on family and friends to help them feel whole and forget the past.

Who cared what anyone else thought of them?

She looked down and smiled at his paper. He had drawn the ocean.

“I’ve never been to the ocean before. I hope to see it in person one day,” he said, holding it up for El to see.

He peeked over to look at what she had drawn. It was the sunset. She used three different orange colors, adding different rays of light, just like she had seen the sky look like.

“I couldn’t decide if I should draw the day or night. So I chose the in-between.”

“I think it’s great,” Will said to her, observing the artwork.

El smiled. This class quickly became one of her favorites.

Science was next.

In this class, the desks looked different than all the others. They had black tops big enough for two.

The teacher said to choose partners. El and Mike took one look at each other, and immediately sat down. The group chose tables next to theirs. It thrilled El to have them all sitting close together.

Science interested El. She liked learning about the stars and planets the most. She knew the boys were excited for science, too. It was their favorite subject.

They told her at lunch that it was going to feel weird having a new science teacher because they missed Mr. Clarke, but thanks to the AV Club, they would still see him.

El tried not to cringe while hearing the word “experiment” used so often when the yearly lesson plan was being explained. It brought her back to the horrible time spent at Hawkins Lab.

Meanwhile, her friends looked eager to learn the new information. She reminded herself that she was in a classroom, sitting next to Mike, and these weren’t the same types of experiments that were done in the lab. Not all science had to be evil. Science could be fun.

The bell rang, meaning it was the last class of the day.

It was time for El to go to Speech.

She suddenly felt nervous again as it dawned on her that she’d be alone.

None of her friends needed to take speech. Instead, they were taking a foreign language, but El was still learning English. Hopper told her she needed this class for some extra practice, but if she learns quickly enough, the school will switch her into a new subject.  

Her friends told her they thought it was cool that she had this class. None of them knew what it was like, and they were naturally curious to find out what she would be doing.

The party split off while Mike walked her to Speech. Not caring who was watching, he gently reached for her hand, and El was certain he could feel how jittery she was.

“It’s going to be okay,” Mike said as they reached the door. “You’re going to ace this class, and pretty soon you’ll be speaking better than all of us.” She let a small smile escape and squeezed his hand, thankful for the support. “We’ll meet right back here once the bell rings. _I promise._ ” 

They said their see-you-soons, which was always hard for them to do, and she entered the classroom.

It was small, with about ten students total. El liked that it wasn’t crowded. The teacher was really nice, too. The teacher said that everyone was there to improve their speaking skills, so there was no reason to feel embarrassed. Thankfully, the lesson plans sounded easy to her. She had been able to pick up on words and phrases quicker and quicker.

Speech class seemed over before it began, and soon enough it was time for everyone to go home. Students ran out through the halls, quick to leave. Soon it grew quiet.

El stayed behind and patiently waited for her friends at the end of the hallway.

Everything was fine, until…

“Well, well, well, look who it is.”

She knew that voice. Mouth breather.

El turned to find Troy and his friend who was always with him, the two who bullied her friends relentlessly.

She had asked the boys a few months ago if they encountered Troy after she broke his arm. Mike explained that Troy was one grade ahead, so he was already in high school while they all were still in 8th grade.

Lucas thought he saw Troy spying on them last year while they were at the bike rack a few times but once Steve started hanging around, Troy didn’t dare try to approach them. Dustin chimed in, mentioning something about “King Steve” still preserving his title, which El wasn’t entirely sure what that meant.

“I heard rumors that we had a new girl in school but I never imagined it was the psycho,” Troy loudly said to his friend.

“El!” She heard from the other side.

She glanced over to see Mike rushing towards her, with Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max close behind.

“El,” Mike repeated. “What’s going on?” He made his way down the hall and stood beside her, keeping a close eye on Troy.

“Nice of you to join us, frog face. See you brought the rest of the nerds with you. We were just talking about how crazy it is that the freak managed to make it in school,” Troy scoffed.

“She’s certainly smarter than you two!” Lucas said.

“What’d you just say?” Troy asked.

“Let’s leave,” El whispered, lightly tugging on Mike’s arm. She didn’t want to have to deal with them.

“Not so fast,” Troy said, stepping closer in front of El. Troy signaled his friend to keep watch for any teachers. They were cornered.

She could feel Mike tense up beside her.

“See, Harrington may be able to protect the rest of the Apple Dumplin’ Gang, but you have no idea what I’m capable of. I can get you kicked out of this school in no time.”

“Leave her alone!” Will shouted. El’s heart ached as he bravely defended her.

“And what are you gonna do about it, fairy?” Troy shot back.

“Shut up Troy!” Mike said, eyes flashing with anger.

The slur didn’t sit well with any of them. The party continued to glare at Troy as he turned his attention back to El.

“I know you have powers. You’re dangerous.”

“You’re wrong.” El said, quieter than she’d have liked. She felt foolish. There was no sense in denying her powers but she didn’t want anyone to walk by and hear what Troy was saying.

“What’s the matter with her, Wheeler?” Troy cackled. “It’s no surprise that you’d be the one to have a _test tube baby_ for a girlfriend.”

“I said _shut up_ ,” Mike snarled, growing angrier and angrier.

She tried to remember Hopper’s phrase, “in one ear and out the other”. It was a silly term, but he told her it meant to ignore what a bully was saying, as if they weren’t there at all.

Unfortunately, this phrase was very hard to follow.

“And look at that, she even tried to grow out her hair like a normal girl. Aww. Too bad it looks like shit.” Troy smiled slyly. He paused, seemingly just for dramatic effect, then spat, “Although… I’m not sure you’re even a girl. I think… you’re a _monster._ ” 

His words were painful to hear. She felt the tears quickly building up.

No. She didn’t want to give Troy the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

In a split second, before she was able to do anything, Mike slammed Troy straight into the locker door, hard.

“Don’t you _dare_ speak to her that way!” Mike yelled at Troy, his hand pushed deeper against Troy’s shoulder. 

Troy’s face contorted and she noticed his fists balling up. Troy was getting ready to hit him back.

She knew Mike would do anything to defend her, even if that meant physical fighting. He shoved Hopper when he found out she was being kept from him.

The party, who had been shouting for Troy to knock it off throughout the entire conversation, instinctively moved closer, ready to oppose Troy if he swung at Mike.

El had enough. She wasn’t about to watch Mike or any of her friends get hurt, no matter what the cost.

Actions always spoke louder than words in her case anyways.

“ _No_.” She scowled at Troy and lowered her head, threatening him to stay back. He had seen that look before.

El took hold of Mike’s shoulder, gently pulling him away. She could feel Mike shaking with anger, but when he glanced at her, she could see the worry in his eyes, too. He didn’t want her to be put at risk.

Troy also had worry in his eyes, but not for her sake. He looked petrified.

She knew Troy was afraid of her, as much as he tried to act like he wasn’t.

El learned at a very early age to read body language. It helped her understand how a person was feeling, due to the fact that she didn’t comprehend most words or phrases that were said to her back in the lab.

This made her quickly come up with a plan.

El gave Mike a look to let him know that she had it handled. He stepped back as El stood alone between friends and Troy.

“You’re going to leave us alone,” She said calmly to Troy.

He gulped.

“Because you have no idea what _I’m_ capable of,” El stated, copying his words. She raised her hand, causing Troy to flinch. She had hurt him with the twitch of her head last time, but he had yet to see what her powers could do in full force.

“W—Whatever.” Troy straightened back up against the locker. “We’ll just see how long you last in here,” he said, desperately trying to hide the fact that he was cowering a second ago.

To her delight, he gave up. His taunts and threats were no match for her and he knew that.

“Better watch your back, freak!” Troy attempted to intimidate El and the rest of the party one last time, before yanking his bookbag up. “Come on!” he said to his friend, and they scurried away.  

Will sighed with relief as they all started talking at once about what just occurred.

“That was insane!”

“Did you see how fast Troy ran away?”

“El’s a badass, that’s why,” Dustin added, smiling.

El pursed her lips. She wasn’t happy about what just happened. She felt rattled. Pretending to prepare using your powers without actually using them was not an easy task.

“Are you okay?” She asked Mike.

“Yeah El, I’m fine, are _you_?” His anger seemed to have sizzled away, the only thing left was concern, written all over his face.

She only nodded back. Clearly not.

“Okay.” He didn’t sound convinced, but continued,

“Let's leave before something else happens.”

The party agreed, as they gathered their belongings and headed out to the parking lot.

**5\. MAKE AFTER SCHOOL PLANS**

They were all going to the Byers home to hangout and do the homework they received. Hopper had told her that Joyce was going to give her a ride with Will and Dustin, however El’s heart desired a different way of transportation.  

She went to Joyce’s car window and bent down. “Hi Joyce, can I ride with Mike for today?”

El glanced back at Mike who was busy getting his bike out from the rack. El knew Joyce trusted Mike, having known him ever since he and Will were little.

“Of course sweetie, but make sure you ride right back to my house. No detours, okay? I don’t want Hopper to worry.”

El thanked her and gave her a partial hug through the window.

“Alright, we’ll see you soon,” Joyce said, as Will and Dustin climbed into the backseat.

El watched Max skate away with Lucas, who was riding his bike back to Joyce’s, as she walked over to the bike rack.

“Joyce said yes?” Mike asked. They had discussed their plan earlier at lunch.

She nodded, and Mike smiled at her.

“Hop on,” he said, patting the seat, the words reminiscent in her ear.

El sat down and hugged Mike’s back, instantly feeling comfort. She missed this. It had been a year and a half since she rode with him on his bicycle. It made her happy knowing she could finally do this with him again.

The bike ride was quiet. El rest her head on Mike’s shoulder, listening to his breathing as he peddled away.

When they arrived at the Byers home, everyone else was already inside. Mike got off and helped her down. Before she could walk up to the door, he stopped her.

“El,” Mike said softly, “Look at me. What’s wrong?”

They knew each other well enough to tell when something was bothering them.

El was most vulnerable when she was with Mike. It took one second to look into his eyes and crumble. The tears she had been holding in since the fight streamed down her face.

“Mike…,” El said, her voice barely a whisper. She felt like she was back at the quarry again, when she cried after their first encounter with Troy.

In an instant, he held her in his arms. When she calmed down and managed to catch her breath, she looked up at him once more, ready to confess what upset her.

“I was having a great day and then…Troy… I never thought about him telling everyone I have powers. I’m…” El paused to think of the correct word. “Worried. I want to go to school but if he says anything…” Her eyes started to water again. Just the thought made her feel uneasy.

Troy didn’t scare her, not one bit, but the thought of him exposing her true nature to the school created a horrible feeling in her stomach. It frustrated her when she thought about how manipulative her was.

Mike shook his head. “He’s not going to tell anyone. We won’t let him. Hopper won’t let him. You deserve to go to school. Troy’s not going to take that away from you, okay?”

“I wasn’t really going to use my powers on him, I wanted to scare him away so I pretended like I was going to. I didn’t want to risk getting caught, but if Troy hurt you… any of you… I couldn’t let that happen,” she clarified.

“I feel the same way. That’s why I got so angry. I know you can take care of yourself, but I couldn’t just stand there and listen to him say those horrible things to you. To any of our friends. We’ve had to deal with him for way too long and you’re not about to get the same treatment. We save each other... and I will _always_ be here to help you,” Mike emphasized. He smiled, gently moving a curl of hair from her forehead. “Your hair is beautiful, by the way.”

“I love you,” El said, placing a soft kiss on Mike’s lips, which he happily reciprocated.

“I love you too,” he replied.

Both never tired of hearing those words, he placed his hand in hers as they knocked on the Byers’ door.

★ ★ ★

El enjoyed the rest of her evening. Joyce gave them all ice cream before heading back to work. El happily ate her strawberry ice cream as the boys and Max were discussing the arcade.

“Maybe she can go with us next time!” Mike said to the party.

“Yeah, El. You can watch me beat Lucas at _Dragon’s Lair_ ,” Dustin smirked.

“You wish!” Lucas jokingly argued back.

Their banter made El laugh. “Sounds fun,” she said.

They had told her many stories about the arcade they loved so much. She would like to see it in person. She looked forward to the long awaited freedom she’d finally be able to have with her friends.

When Hopper came to pick her up later that night, El hugged him tight.

“I missed you,” she said. There was so much she wanted to tell him.

“I missed you too,” he said, returning her hug.

“I’m told you had an eventful day.” Hopper locked eyes with Joyce.

El nodded. “Yes.”

“Well, I want to hear all about it. Every detail,” he said.

Joyce kindly invited them to stay for dinner, which was slowly starting to become a weekly habit. El, Will, Jonathan, Joyce, and Hopper went around the table describing their day, feeling more as a family than ever.

With her friends and family’s support, she had successfully survived her first day of high school.

El sat back and smiled to herself. She was ready to experience what school had in store for her again tomorrow.

★ ★ ★

END

 

 


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